A Preliminary Study on Lupinus albus and Raphanus sativus Grown in Soil Affected by Oil Spillage

Oil spills from pipelines are a hazardous contamination source for agricultural soils. We investigated the effects of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) soil contamination, resulting from a real diesel oil pipeline spill, on the growth of Lupinus albus and Raphanus sativus plants. These species are widely cultivated for food purposes and have not been previously tested in soils affected by oil spills. Mesocosm-scale experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, and the potential transfer of hydrocarbons from soil to plant was evaluated. The results indicated that hydrocarbons in soil altered the soil nutrient balance and adversely affected plant growth. The C > 12 content in the aerial part was lower in plants grown in the contaminated soil than in plants grown in the control soil. The reduction in plant growth was not related to the accumulation of hydrocarbons in plant tissue, but rather to the deterioration in soil quality due to the oil spill.